Apparatus for handling barrels



May 24, 1960 M. M. FLEISCHMAN 2,937,836

APPARATUS FOR HANDLING BARRELS Filed Feb. 7, 195a 47. 48 F1 20 \IZ Hg.

INVENTOR. MARTIN M- FLEISCHMAN Mu. W

ATTORNEY United States Patent 2,937,836 APPARATUS FOR HANDLING BARRELS Martin M. Fleischman, P.0. Box 94, Broomall, Pa.

Filed Feb. 7, 1958, Ser. No. 713,969

Claims. (Cl. 248141) The present invention relates to apparatus for handling barrels, and more particularly to apparatus for facilitating the manipulation of bilge barrels, that is barrels having a convex contour at their sides.

The supporting of bilge barrels and their facile manipulation has long presented a serious problem. Such barrels, in their conventional sizes, when loaded have too great a weight to permit easy manual handling.

This invention has as an object the provision of apparatus for fool-proofedly grasping bilge barrels and the like, whereby the same may be satisfactorily gripped during lifting, pouring, or other manipulative movements;

This invention has as yet another object the provision of a light-weight girdle which may be used to grip a bilge barrel and retain the same in positively secured grasp during manipulations of such barrel.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

For the purpose of illustrating the invention there is shown in the drawings a form which is presently preferred; it being understood, however, that this invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown.

Referring to the drawings wherein like reference characters refer to like parts:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the apparatus for handling barrels of the present invention mounted upon a drum lift.

Figure 2 is a section taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view with the locking means of the girdle in open disposition revealing the operation of such locking means.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the girdle.

of vertical frame member 34 and to one free end of semicircular frame member 36. The trunnion 30 is secured to the upper portion of vertical frame member 38 and to the other free end portion of semicircular frame member 36. Preferably, the trunnions 28 and 30 are welded to the vertical frame members 34 and 38 and to the semicircularframe member 36. Preferably, also, the vertical frame members 34 and 38 are welded to'semicircular frame member 36. The frame members should be formed of relatively heavy gauge sheet metal and possess adequate strength characteristics for their intended purposes. The semicircular frame member 36 is'disposed perpendicularly in respect to the vertical frame members 34 and 38 and bridges such vertical frame members 34 I and 38.

vertical frame members 34 and 38.

frame member 36.

Referring to the drawings, the girdle of the present invention is designated generally as 10. Such girdle 10 is intended for use with any drum lift 12 which carries a girdle having opposed trunnions intermediate rotatable arms.

No claim is made to the drum lift 12 of the present invention, the same comprising a commercially available drum lift having spaced frame members 14 mounted on casters 16. At the rear ends of frame member 14 are provided uprights 18 in which are pivotably mounted the arms 20.

Pivoting of the arms 20 in respect to the uprights 18 is effected by the hydraulic jack 22 which is secured to a connecting crossbar intermediate the arms 20. Actuation of the hydraulic jack 22 is accomplished by pedal 24 which is operated by the users foot.

Each of the arms 20 of drum lift 12 is provided at its free ends with a clamp 26 in which the trunnions of the girdle 10 are received. Thus, trunnion 28 of girdle 10 is received in the clamp 26 of one of the arms 20 and trunnion 30 of girdle 10 is received in the clamp 26 of the other of arms 20. Threaded securement means 32 are provided on each of the clamps 26 for securedly gripping the trunnions 28 and 30 when the same are carried in the clamps 26 of the arms 20 of drum lift 12.

The trunnion 28 is secured to the upper end portion The standard 42 carries the clamp 44 which'is pro,- vided with a dependent offset project 46. The relative height of clamp 44 in relation to the standard 42 may be selectively varied by set screw 48 intermediate stop pin 45 and stop collar 47 carried on standard 42.

The lowermost portions of vertical frame members 34 and 38 are provided with hinges 50 and 52 to which are secured respective quarter, circular rods 54 and 56 which are carried in the same plane as the semicircular rod 40. Preferably, the semicircular rod 40 and the quarter-circular rods 54 and 56 are each formed of identical metal rods which should possess in addition to the requisite strength characteristics a certain degree of resiliency if completely satisfactorygripping of the bilge barrel is to be achieved.

The free end of quarter-circular rod 56 is provided with the locking means 58 and the free end of quarter circular rod 54 is provided with the keeper 60 for such locking means 58, the keeper 60 being a hook-shaped member whose free end is directed away from quarter circular rod 56.

The locking means 58 includes the upright pin 6 2 which is hingedly carried in the free end of quarter-' circular rod 54 and the upright pin 64 which is spa'ced from and parallel to the upright 62 and carries the locking lever 66. Parallel connecting members 68 join up right pins 62 and 64, suchparallel connecting members 68' being spaced from each other a sufficient distance so that keeper 60 may be disposed therebetween.

The lockinglever 66 is threadably carried in upright pin 64, and its length may be adjusted in respect to up right pin 64. This permits the size of the circle defined by semicircular rod 40 and quarter-circular rods 54 and 56 L0 be varied so as to accommodate to different barrel girt s.

The engagement of the locking lever 66 in the keeper 60 and the subsequent throwing of the locking lever to complete the locking is shown particularly in Figure 3.

The operation of the girdle of the present invention is as follows: I

A bilge barrel shown in phantom line in Figure l and designated B is lifted by the girdle 10 of the present invention by raising clamp 44 to the top of standard 42 adjacent stop pin 45, and then rotating the clamp 44 at an angle of ninety degrees or more out of alignment with bilge barrel B. The locking means 58 is then opened,

The girdle carried in the drum lift 12 with the girdle 10' in its lowest posture is moved adjacent the barrel B so that it straddles the barrel B with frame member 36 engaging the barrel B. The quarter-circular rods 54 and 56 areembraced about the barrel B well below the center line and the locking means 58 is closed. The hydraulic jack 22 is then raised, with the girdle 10 rising on the barrel B until the ring defined by the semicircular rod 40 and the quarter-circular rods 54 and S6 positively grasp the barrel B and can rise no further, the barrel B being wedged within the girdle 10. Further raising of the hydraulic jack 22 causes the barrel B to rise with the upward pivoting of the arms 20.

Clamp 44 is turned back into alignment with barrel B and moved downwardly on standard 42 until the dependent offset projection 46 assumes the position shown in Figure 1, namely such position in which the bend of the dependent ofiset projection 46 is closely adjacent the lip of the barrel B.

In this position, discharge of the contents of the barrel B is feasible since there is absolute control over the barrel B by the girdle 10 and clamp 44.

To release the barrel B from the girdle 10, the barrel B is lowered to the ground by lowering the arms 20 through the action of hydraulic jack 22. Locking means 58 is then opened, and the quarter-circular rods 54 and 56 released from about barrel B. Clamp 44 may be raised on standard 42 and turned out of position, and then lift 12 is withdrawn from the region of the barrel B.

The girdle of the present invention permits the facile handling of large bilge barrels by a single operator.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof and, accordingly, reference should be made to the appended claims, rather than to'the foregoing specification as indicating the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A girdle for barrels including an upright standard, a clamp selectively movable onto and along the length of the upper portion of said standard, a dependent ofiset projection carried by said clamp, a split ring fixedly secured to the lowermost portion of said standard, said split ring projecting perpendicularly in respect to said standard, the free ends of said split ring being spaced from said standard, locking means for selectively locking said free ends of said split ring together, rigid support means fixedly secured to said standard intermediate said split ring and said clamp, said support means projecting perpendicularly in respect to said standard, and diametrically opposite trunnions extending outward from said support means.

2. A girdle for barrels including an upright standard, a clamp selectively movable onto and along the length of the upper portion of said standard, a dependent oflset projection carried by said clamp, a split ring fixedly secured to the lowermost portion of said standard, said split ring projecting perpendicularly in respect to said standard, the free ends of said split ring being spaced from said standard, locking means for selectively locking said free ends of said split ring together, rigid support means fixedly secured to said standard intermediate said split ring and said clamp, said support means projecting perpendicularly in respect to said standard, connecting members extending intermediate said support means and said split ring, and diametrically opposite trunnions extending outwardly from said support means.

3. A girdle in accordance with claim 2 in which the split ring comprises a semicircular element secured to the standard midway between said elements ends, and in which the connecting members join the element's ends to the support means, and with said connecting members hingedly carrying quarter-circular portions whose free ends are provided with the locking means, said quartercircular portions being disposed in the same plane as said semicircular element.

4. A girdle for barrels including an upright standard, a clamp selectively movable onto and along the length of the upper portion of said standard, a dependent offset projection carried by said clamp, a split ring fixedly secured to the lowermost portion of said standard, said split ring projecting perpendicularly in respect to said standard, the free ends of said split ring being spaced from said standard, locking means for selectively locking said free ends of said split ring together, rigid support means fixedly secured to said standard intermediate said split ring and said clamp, said support means projecting perpendicularly in respect to said standard, said support means comprising an integral semicircular member secured to the standard intermediate said members ends, connecting members extending intermediate said support means and said split ring, and diametrically opposite trunnions extending outwardly from said support means.

5. A girdle in accordance with claim 4 in which the connecting members depend from the free ends of the support means, and the split ring comprises a semicircular element secured to the standard midway between said elements ends, with the connecting members joining the elements ends to the support means and with said connecting members hingedly carrying quarter-circular portions whose free ends are provided with the locking means, said quarter-circular portions being disposed in the same plane as said semicircular element.

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